New York, NY september 25, 2012 -Police started their daily campaign of harassment early by
kicking protesters wake to make room for Trinity churches private maintenance
crew to clean the sidewalks, it quickly escalated to violence on the on the
part of NYPD from there.

At 9:48 am police Sgt. Harney Badge number 2849 and a fellow officer
confiscated a large painting from a protester that wasn't initially present at
the scene.

When the young woman arrived shortly after police took the piece of art she
tried to claim it. A pulling match ensured between the much larger Harney and
the 4 ft. 9 in. woman. After several moments Harney released the painting with
a push driving her into the scaffolding knocking her unconscious.

Paramedics were called to the scene and she was eventually taken to the
hospital.

However, in the mean time she laid unconscious with her head on the curb
and body partially in the street, while this was going on NYPD Cpt. Greene and
a Lieutenant, stood over the scene, smiling and laughing amongst themselves
apparently proud of the work their subordinate had done.

While the young woman identified by fellow protesters as Sparrow was being
treated at the hospital and still unconscious, NYPD placed the victim under
arrest.

By early evening police still had not been able to tell us what she was
being charged with, only that she was in custody.

This was not to be the end of the day's harassment by police. Cpt. Greene sent his officers into the area to
take protesters property and to have protesters move their stuff on two other
occasions during the evening.

At 6 in the evening officers came through telling protesters that they were
obstructing pedestrian traffic with their property, including two individuals who
were clearly out of the way of foot traffic in an indention between the church fencing
and the backside of the subway entrance.

Police threatened to arrest the two protesters for obstructing pedestrian
traffic and some obscure law claiming that they were an eyesore. Obstructing Ped. Traffic, really? by Cory V. Clark

The two refused to move and a crowd of protesters had formed around them
demanding to know the specific code violation police were claiming they
violated.

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Police couldn't answer the question even after speaking on the phone to
their superiors and eventually left the two alone.

Cory Clark is an Independent Photojournalist and writer, focused on Civil and Human Rights issues, National and international politics, and Social Justice Movements.
He is currently working to document the lives of the homeless from their (more...)